How to replace starch in dough. Everything ingenious is simple

The culinary purpose of starch is to change the structure and consistency of dishes. But this transformation can be carried out thanks to other food products. Many starch substitutes suitable for making muffins, pies, biscuits and other baked goods are probably among your household supplies.

polyhedral starch

In baking, starch, like a multifaceted actor, plays several roles at once:

contributes to the thickening of the dough;
absorbs excess liquid, making pastries fluffy, light, airy;
gives the dough ductility that holds the shape of the products.

A good alternative to starch

The above functions can be "entrusted" to the following ingredients: chicken eggs,

wheat, buckwheat or rye flour,
coconut shavings,
manke,
oatmeal
gelatin.

For example, in biscuit dough, starch is successfully replaced by wheat flour, which, as you know, also contains starch.

Use chicken eggs (proportion: 1 egg instead of 1 tablespoon of starch) in the batch for pancakes and pancakes, which hold the dough together and prevent it from creeping

Shortcrust pastry will work great with an alternative - grind semolina or dry coconut flakes with a blender into a powder. Increase the number of eggs in the dough batch.

The simplest replacement for starch is modest breadcrumbs.

After learning what you can replace starch in baking, stop at one of the options and check your choice in practice.

Sponge nut cake with coffee and chocolate fudge

Let us give a clear example of such interchangeability. Instead of starch, let's take some crushed crackers, which, due to their consistency, will absorb excess moisture and make the baked goods crumbly.

For the test you will need:

12 eggs;
250 g sugar;
250 g chopped nuts;
2 tablespoons of ground crackers;
a pinch of vanilla.

For cream:

250 g chopped nuts;
250 g sugar;
1 glass of cream;
100 g butter;
a pinch of vanilla.

For fondant:

300 g of sugar;
0.5 cups of water;
1 teaspoon of vinegar;
50 g chocolate or cocoa;
1 cup of coffee;
20 g butter;
vanillin.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding sugar. Then throw in the yolks, mix quickly. Combine the mass with nuts and breadcrumbs, mix thoroughly again.

Divide the prepared dough into 2 parts and place in 2 greased and sprinkled with breadcrumbs baking dishes. Put them in the oven (+200 ° C) and bake for half an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream and fudge.

Combine the cream with sugar and cook over low heat, stirring and bringing to the consistency of thick sour cream. Add nuts, vanilla, oil, mix well.

Delicious air pies - each housewife has her own recipe for a signature flour dish, which she would not exchange for any treasures of the world and the wonders of overseas cuisine. The technique of preparing these little culinary masterpieces has been honed over the years, and the memory of the most delicate biscuit melting in your mouth was protected and cherished by guests and household members after each dinner party or cozy homemade breakfast with the family.

It would seem that nothing can go wrong in this system that has been formed for decades, but life is full of surprises that tend to happen at the most inopportune moment. And if you can’t do without flour or sugar in making a delicious cake, then it’s quite possible without starch.

White light powder

In order to determine what starch can be replaced with, you should understand what it is generally used for. And you need this ingredient to complete the task, which is quite simple, but at the same time extremely important. The use of starch in cooking is necessary to remove excess liquid, which can not only adversely affect the taste of baking, but also noticeably spoil its appearance, which, of course, no hostess will like. In addition, it is this ingredient that gives the dough that special ductility that allows the manufacture of products of various shapes and textures.

Relationship between starch and small waist

Even if the preparation of your favorite buns was preceded by a long and painstaking shopping trip, as a result of which the above-mentioned ingredient was bought, every housewife should ask herself the question: “Is it really necessary?”

Baking is a rather high-calorie business, and extra centimeters at the waist and hips are troublesome. That is why you should not additionally burden your favorite pretzels and pancakes with the addition of starch. Oddly enough, this lightest white powder can play a rather cruel joke on a female figure when consumed excessively, and therefore it is worth considering what starch can be replaced with. Moreover, there are plenty of options for this.

Everything ingenious is simple

If your dish does not represent the material embodiment of high culinary delights, the most ordinary eggs, which can be found in almost any refrigerator on planet Earth, can serve as an excellent substitute. At the same time, the viscosity of the dough remains excellent, and the texture does not suffer at all.

Eggs are exactly what starch can be replaced with in the preparation of pancakes and fritters. You don’t have to worry about excess moisture in the dough, and the taste of the final products of frying or baking will be richer and fuller. With just one egg, you can replace two tablespoons of starch - that's how you can easily solve the problem of lack of ingredients.

Biscuit dough

The previously proposed option is great for pancakes and pancakes, but it is completely unsuitable for air cakes. The question naturally arises: “How can starch be replaced during cooking? Everything is simple - with the most ordinary wheat flour. The consistency will only get better, and you won’t have to worry about excess moisture.

Shortbread cookies and pies that melt in your mouth

What can replace starch in such cases? It seems that this little trick exists especially for such cases - coconut flakes ground into powder. Of course, you should use this option only in sweet dough - a pie with cabbage or meat will be rather strange if there is a taste of "heavenly delight". However, in other situations, coconut flakes are an excellent choice in case of a sad “not meeting” with starch.

In this case, what can replace starch in salt dough? Ordinary semolina, ground with a coffee grinder. Whole grains can also be used, but in this case, there is a chance that they will be felt on the tongue, which will somewhat interrupt the excellent taste of a delicious homemade pie.

Miracle in sauce

In addition to cookies, pancakes and pies, starch is also used in the preparation of sauces. Not only the desired (thick) consistency, but also an amazing nutty flavor to this culinary miracle, which can set off the taste of any main dish, will be given by the most ordinary flour, previously fried in a hot frying pan.

To the question: “Can starch be replaced in sweet sauces?” - in modern cooking there is only one answer - naturally. Thick cream or ordinary fat sour cream is ideal for this, which will provide not only the desired consistency of the product, but also its excellent, more delicate taste.

Modern cooking is a real storehouse of amazing secrets, time-tested and millions of housewives. Here you can easily not only find out how you can replace starch in baking. The real treasures of cooking skills are open to any housewife, and to comprehend them, you just need to ask.

Starch is used in a wide variety of areas of life. They process linen accessories, clean furs. It is used as a bleaching and cleaning product and in many other areas, especially in cooking.

Such an original product contains many minerals, vitamins and trace elements, so oversaturation of food with it is safe for health. Dishes containing this substance are very healthy and satisfying for the body. Corn product is most used for casseroles and biscuits. However, often many people wonder what can replace starch in baking, in case of its absence.

Application

Starch is mainly used in the following types of food:

fruit soups;
sour drinks;
sauces;
biscuit products;
casseroles;
cutlets.

It is used in baking because of two main properties:

gives density;
removes excess moisture.

Experts believe that if you replace 30% flour with starch in the manufacture of baking, then its softness will increase and the consumption of fatty products will decrease by up to 20%.

Starch contributes to the fact that the biscuit dough becomes drier and more airy, and the cookies become crumbly. In dietary pancakes, it replaces eggs; for density and viscosity, it is added to fruit and berry fillings.

Features of potato starch

In most situations, a corn product can be substituted for one made from potatoes, and vice versa. And this is despite the fact that corn starch is often used in desserts, and potato starch is rarely used in sweet dishes. This is due to their taste.

Replacing one tablespoon of potato starch is done by replacing two tablespoons of corn. This is due to the fact that potato has a more viscous consistency. For example, if you take both varieties in the same amount and cook jelly from them separately, then a transparent and viscous drink will come out of the potato, and something similar to cloudy compote will come out of the corn.

Dishes from starch to some extent lose their taste. Therefore, they need a lot of flavoring additives. This amount will decrease if this substance is replaced with another product.

How to use in individual dishes?

The sauce, whatever it may be, should always have a thickness. Because of this, it contains starch. The amount depends on how thick the sauce is required. Several components may be suitable to replace this product.

Flour. It is gradually introduced into boiled cold water, and added to the sauce before the final stage of cooking.
Ground flax seeds. They are diluted in cold water and boiled before being added.
Cream or sour cream. Pour the products into the dish and stir lightly.

To obtain a sauce of proper quality, any thickening products must be added over low heat, while stirring regularly. In this case, a dish of the desired consistency comes out.

In a cottage cheese casserole, it is better to replace the product in question with semolina in a 1: 1 ratio.

In ice cream, sifted wheat flour, in the same amount as starch, is suitable to replace corn starch.

When preparing cutlets, starch is replaced with flour of one of the varieties:

oatmeal;
buckwheat;
from corn.

Flour is replaced in the same way as in the previous examples. You can replace it with raw, finely grated potatoes. However, this is not a complete replacement, due to the fact that potatoes contain starch. Starch is also used to thicken the cream of cakes. But since it has a dampish taste, as a result of which the taste of the cream worsens, it is not recommended to use it. In this case, starch can be perfectly replaced by the following products.

Semolina. It must first be boiled, the products must be added as follows: half a liter of milk, 80 grams of semolina, 40 grams of sugar, one teaspoon of lemon zest. And only then do the cream.
gelatin. This product can be used as a substitute for starch when preparing cream. In such a situation, it must be diluted, following the instructions. The resulting mass is mixed with the finished cream. Apply the cream after it has cooled down.
Coconut shavings. For this, it is quite suitable in a ground state. The shavings will make a wonderful cream. The only thing is that it will take a little longer to prepare the cream, since the product dissolves for a longer time. The chips are poured into the prepared cream in the amount of three tablespoons per liter.

The above products make it possible to create a consistency identical to that to which starch is added. At the same time, all creams are pleasant to the taste, and rich in nutrients.

In the preparation of fillings for baking, products are used that give density to dishes.

Eggs. They are added to meat, potato and other vegetable fillings.
Flour. It is used for a variety of fillings, both salty and sweet in taste. Mostly wheat flour is used, but a product made from corn, buckwheat, oatmeal is quite suitable. Add it in dry form in the amount of five tablespoons per kilogram of filling.

Replace starch in various dishes, including desserts. Baking is airy when adding the appropriate product.

Products used in baking instead of starch

Since starch is used as a thickener, it can be replaced by any other product with the same qualities. Eg:

eggs;
flour (from wheat, rye, buckwheat, flax, oatmeal);
agar-agar;
gelatin;
semolina;
coconut flakes;
breadcrumbs.

The nuances of replacement

flour

Starch is used in baking as a separate element of the composition, and interspersed with flour in equal proportions. In the absence of starch, it can be completely replaced with flour. The most suitable flour is made from buckwheat, flax, wheat and rye. Flour, and buckwheat, and flaxseed is easy to make on your own. You just need to grind flax seeds or buckwheat flakes.

The dough, which is kneaded exclusively on flour, must be carefully and repeatedly sifted, adding a little baking powder. As a result, baking will be the same as with the use of starch, that is, airy, light, and delight in its appearance. Flour powder will need the same amount as starch.

In the process of preparing the custard, sifted flour powder is also used for baking layers - it is best if it is from wheat. It will create the desired effect of density in the cream, the same as from starch. It is important to mix the mass thoroughly, in order to avoid the formation of lumps.

Most housewives know that when preparing biscuit, puff and pancake dough, starch can be completely excluded from the composition. And when kneading shortcrust pastry, it is enough to use more flour than starch. Flour powder must be mixed with baking powder.

eggs

When baking, eggs hold all the ingredients together, play the role of a baking powder, and make the product crumbly and fluffy. One egg fully replaces two tablespoons of starch from corn or potatoes.

A chicken egg can be a substitute for starch when whipping cream for cakes. For this procedure, you need to use only the yolk, a little milk and a little sugar. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into the cream, which is in a boiling state.

A significant advantage of replacing starch with an egg is the reduction in calories in baking, due to the increase in proteins in the product, the amount of carbohydrates decreases.

Mankoy

Semolina, absorbing excess moisture, swells. By binding the ingredients of the dough, it gives density and airiness to the product. Semolina leaves the presence of small grains in the oral cavity. Using semolina, grainy and satisfying pastries are obtained.

In cottage cheese products, replacing starch with semolina will be an ideal idea, especially in dishes such as:

casserole;
syrniki;
vareniki;
donuts.

Pre-semolina must be soaked for about one hour, so that it has time to swell. Soak the cereal in kefir, milk or fermented baked milk.

Replacement should be made in equal proportions.

coconut flakes

Pies stuffed with fruit undoubtedly require a thickener. This happens because a large amount of juice from fruits and berries is released during cooking, and in the process it flows out of the product. In such a situation, ground coconut flakes can perfectly replace starch.

Viscosity is not the only quality that coconut can give to dough, due to its swelling property. It also adds some sweetness. As a result, sugar consumption is saved.

All of these products must first be ground in some way. You can do this with a coffee grinder, and if it is not there, an ordinary pusher will help.

Agar-agar and gelatin

Most cakes are not complete without a kind of delicate cream. This effect can give a thickener similar to starch. But in case of its absence, the thickener can be easily replaced with agar-agar or gelatin. To achieve the best result, you need to heat any thickener in a container with a small volume of water, without bringing it to a boil, and then add it to the main components.

Agar-agar has gelling properties - because of this unique quality, it will need four times less compared to gelatin. In addition, this product provides the body with many useful substances.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that this powder is often replaced by analogues, it is undesirable to completely exclude it from the diet. The product promotes the development of beneficial bacteria. It lowers the pH, prevents inflammation, and eliminates the risk of colon cancer.

Due to its medicinal properties, starch is useful in disorders of the digestive tract - inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, constipation. It is only necessary to consume it in moderation, then there will be no need to think about harm.

In the next video you will find a recipe for cottage cheese casserole with semolina.

Starch is used to prepare various dishes - creams, sauces, jelly, pastries, meatballs. But not everyone tolerates this product. Can starch be substituted? To do this, you just need to know which product is suitable for a particular dish.

Application of potato starch

This carbohydrate has a high nutritional value. With its help, a viscous mass is obtained, which allows you to prepare sauces and jelly. In addition, it is used in the preparation of other tasty and healthy dishes.

The composition of kissels includes fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals. The component is diluted in cold water, and then it is added to the main dish. It is worth remembering that it cannot be boiled, as in this case it will lose its viscosity. For the preparation of sauces, the product is diluted both in water and in oil. This carbohydrate is part of baking: it perfectly absorbs moisture, makes the biscuit light.

Uses of corn and rice starch

These products do not contain gluten, so they are used in the preparation of dietary dishes. In addition, it can be part of sauces, syrups, puddings, jellies, puree soups, jelly. Baking from it is tender, fragrant, has a great taste. Rice starch is used as a thickener for white sauces, in the preparation of pies, buns, muffins, mousses.

What to add to the cream?

Starch is used to thicken the cream of cakes. But due to the dampish taste and deterioration of taste, it is undesirable to use it. What can replace starch? The following products are great:

Semolina. It is used in the preparation of cream for the cake. The cereal must be boiled in advance by adding products in the following proportions: ½ l of milk, 80 g of semolina, 40 g of sugar, 1 tsp. lemon zest. And then prepare the cream.

Gelatin. What starch can be replaced in the preparation of the cream? It is this product. In this case, gelatin must be diluted using the instructions. The solution is mixed with the prepared cream. Apply it after cooling.
Coconut shavings. What can replace starch in baking? For this, ground coconut flakes are suitable, from which a wonderful cream is obtained. Only the cooking time is somewhat increased due to the longer dissolution of the product. Shavings are added to the finished cream - about 3 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of cream.

The above products allow you to make the consistency of dishes the same as with the addition of starch. Everything is delicious and nutritious.

Preparation of pastry fillings

Can potato starch be substituted for baking fillings? There are products that allow you to thicken dishes. For example:

Eggs. They are added to meat, vegetable, potato fillings.
Flour. It is used for any filling, both salty and sweet. Wheat flour is usually used, but corn, buckwheat, oatmeal will do. Add flour without water - for 1 kg of filling you need to add 4-5 tbsp. l.
Semolina. The product is considered a universal thickener. It should be added dry. The calculation is determined by the desired density of the filling.
Coconut shavings. This product is used in ground form. Shavings must be added in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. for 200 g of filling.

Starch replacement is used in various dishes, including desserts. Baking will also be airy if you add the appropriate product.

Cooking cutlets

How can starch be replaced if cutlets are being prepared? It is better to add flour to them. Moreover, different varieties of the product (oatmeal, buckwheat, corn) can be used. Flour is added in the same quantities as starch.

Raw finely grated potatoes are suitable as a substitute. But this is not considered an actual replacement as there is starch in this product. Dishes that contain this product are very high in calories. Regular consumption of it in food leads to indigestion. That is why it is recommended to replace starch with buckwheat or rye flour.

Sauces

Any sauces should be thick, have the consistency of sour cream. Therefore, starch is added to them. The amount of product is determined by the density of the sauce. What can replace starch? Suitable for this:

Flour. It is diluted in cold boiled water, added at the final stage of preparation.
Flaxseeds are ground. They are diluted with cold water, boiled before adding.
Sour cream or cream. Food is added at low heat, stirring a little.

To get a quality sauce, any thickeners must be added at low heat and at the same time stir constantly. Then you get a product of the desired consistency.

Replacement of cornstarch

Starch is needed to improve the elasticity of the dough, its airiness and friability. In biscuits, it eliminates excess moisture, and as a result, the product becomes light. What can replace cornstarch if it is an essential ingredient in a dish?

There are chefs who believe that you can do without this ingredient. Only then it is necessary to sift the flour, preferably several times. Then the baking becomes airy. But this advice is not suitable for all dishes. For example, in a cottage cheese casserole, starch should be replaced with semolina in the same amount.

What can replace cornstarch in ice cream? Wheat flour works well for this. Its amount should be exactly the same as starch. It also needs to be sieved.

Corn and potato starch

Potato starch can be found in stores more often than corn starch. The first product is considered more viscous. If you use it to make jelly, you get a thick and transparent drink. If you use corn starch, then the jelly will be liquid, opaque.

If you replace corn starch with potato starch, then you need to take it 2 times less. Then the products are considered interchangeable.

Although this carbohydrate is often replaced with other products, it is not worth completely abandoning it. The product allows the development of beneficial bacteria. It lowers pH levels, eliminates inflammation, reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Due to its medicinal properties, the product is necessary in the presence of digestive disorders, including intestinal inflammation, constipation, diarrhea. With its help, the body is protected from toxins, the absorption of minerals improves. You just need to use it in moderation, and then there will be no harm from it.

Sometimes you tune in to cooking a dish, read the recipe, and your hands drop. Everything is there, but the main binding ingredient was not found in the locker. What to do? What can replace starch in meat dishes, pastries or desserts? What proportions to choose for this, and will the dish lose its taste? Let's try to understand these subtleties of cooking.

Replacement or substitution? What is the difference between varieties of starch?

Rich jelly, delicious ice cream, soft cutlets, delicious openwork pancakes - starch can be found in each of these recipes. Why is it used at all? Everything is very simple: the main acting function of starch is thickening.

It would seem that you can stop there, but no, he has many other things to do:

starch absorbs excess moisture and allows baking to become light and airy;
gives the sauce the necessary viscosity;
adds calories and nutritional value to the dish;
bleaches everything that needs to be bleached;
adds a pleasant aftertaste to meat, fish and minced meat;
as part of the breading, it allows cheesecakes and vegetables to acquire a ruddy and crispy crust.

Why do you need to know? A simple knowledge of the basic properties of starch will allow you to better understand how and with what to replace it in your recipe.

Today you can buy several varieties of starch:

rice;
potato;
corn.

Rice starch is used most often in the perfume industry in the manufacture of bath salts, face masks and deodorants. But the other two types are quite suitable for cooking.

Read also:

Many housewives have a completely logical question: is it possible to replace corn starch with potato starch and vice versa? To answer it correctly, you need to understand what consistency this or that variety gives to the dish. Potato starch is considered the strongest. It is added to jelly, as a result of which it becomes like melted jelly.

But if you add corn starch instead of potato jelly, you get a liquid that looks more like compote. For baking, these rules are not so strict and such a substitution of products is acceptable. If you decide to replace it in recipes, then you need to take 2 times less potato starch.

We cook, we soar without problems

In Soviet times, when cookbooks were full of various recipes, and store shelves, on the contrary, were empty, there was a saying among the people: “Put the elephant in the elephant coop.” Fortunately, now there are no such problems with the choice of food. However, the desired recipe may not be available due to the lack of conventional starch.

Do not drive your desire to treat yourself to a tasty treat in the far corner. Try to cheat a little:

Many custard recipes recommend using starch instead of flour to avoid lumps. Accordingly, the answer to the question of whether starch can be replaced with flour is an unequivocal yes. By the way, any will do - rye, wheat and even linen.
An alternative to starch in baking will be eggs, semolina, baking powder, breadcrumbs. And you can not put it in puff pastry at all, the taste and texture will remain the same.
What can replace starch in meatballs? There is nothing easier. Try adding one grated potato or 2 chicken eggs to the minced meat.
But to prepare the filling in muffins, cakes and other sweets, instead of starch, you can add a little chopped coconut or semolina.
A good option for replacing starch in ice cream is a simple and affordable ingredient - flour, but only in 1: 1 proportions. For the same purposes, agar-agar, thick homemade cream, sour cream, gelatin or sweet milk jelly are perfect.
Many believe that it is impossible to replace starch in jelly. But it's not. In Ancient Rus', such an ingredient was not known at all, and the drink was brewed on the basis of buckwheat flour. Just grind some buckwheat grains in a coffee grinder and you're done!

But it also happens that you need to replace starch not in baking, but for any household needs. Then semolina, coconut and eggs will not help. There are some tricks for this. For example, in a paste it can be replaced with flour. And for starching napkins and collars, use PVA glue diluted in water: 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of liquid.

Culinary experiments

What can replace corn and potato starch if none of the above was found in the house? Of course, it is better to postpone cooking until better times. But when it’s completely unbearable, you can try to cook starch at home. How to do it? Use this recipe.

Compound:

2-3 potato tubers;
cold water.

Cooking:

First, let's prepare the potatoes. Wash it in water from dust and dirt, remove the peel with a thin layer and cut into cubes.
Put the potato slices in a blender bowl and carefully grind everything to a puree state.
Now let's take gauze folded in several layers and squeeze out all the juice that has appeared through it.
This juice will be a natural substitute for starch. 4 tbsp. l. liquids will replace 1 tbsp. l. the same dry ingredient.

If you wish, you can work even harder and get real dry starch from potatoes. To do this, it is soaked in water, and then they wait for all the liquid to come out and the tubers to fade. The potatoes are thrown away, while the water is gradually evaporated in the oven. True, this process is laborious. It is much easier to buy a bag of a ready-made product in a store.